The present disclosure generally relates to an enteral feeding connector, and more particularly, to a small-bore enteral feeding connector including a fluid drain.
In a medical environment, many devices have tubing adapted for manual connection in order to provide a fluid connection between devices or between a device and a patient including enteral feeding pumps and enteral feeding lines. Each of these devices includes one or more connectors that a user or practitioner may connect together.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional enteral feeding connector assembly of the prior art including a male enteral feeding small-bore connector 1 and a female enteral feeding small-bore connector 3 configured to be connected to one another for use in connecting enteral fluid lines in healthcare applications. The enteral feeding connectors 1, 3 deliver fluid in the fluid lines through a fluid passage 5 extending through the connectors. Fluid is typically delivered from the female connector 3 to the male connector 1. The male enteral feeding small-bore connector 1 includes a well 7 located at an end of the male connector that engages with the female connector 3 for threadably connecting the male connector with the female connector. A problem with enteral feeding connectors of this type is that when the female connector 3 is separated from the male connector 1, after fluid has been delivered through the connectors, fluid can collect in the well 7 of the male connector. This exposed fluid can become contaminated by the surrounding environment. When the connectors 1, 3 are subsequently reconnected (FIG. 2), the contaminated fluid can be forced into the fluid passage 5 of the connectors and delivered to the patient.